Pieces
by Anjelle
Summary: Sometimes you have to learn the hard way that not all dreams come true.
1. Chapter 1

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Dark eyes opened to an equally dark room, small, dim rays of moonlight seeping in from the window. Disoriented, lost, he lifted his arm—the only one that would listen—to the itch fabric on his face. Bandages, he knew. They were tight, almost painfully so, as though they were trying to keep him together. Maybe they were. Maybe they were the only reason he hadn't fallen apart.

Most of his body wouldn't move as he tried sitting up on the soft mattress beneath, his body burning as his muscles moved. He couldn't. No matter how hard he tried, how determined he was, the pain would begin its merciless assault with every attempt and he was forced to give up. It wouldn't work.

He swallowed.

With only half his vision, one eye obscured by the wrappings around his head, he stared at the moon, the sting of tears fighting to break free. His whole body shivered as he took in that shining silver orb, somehow more beautiful than ever before. Biting back a whimper, he wiped his eye, one thought circling in his head: _I'm alive. I'm alive. I'm alive._

When he closed his eyes again he was met with flashes of orange and red burning across the sky, his tiny, frail limbs being swallowed by the vast emptiness of the ocean. Oxygen left him and his lungs burned, _starved_ as he flailed his arms in a feeble attempt to stay afloat. His vision was red, body torn and tattered and he_ couldn't breathe couldn't feel couldn't move couldn't—_

Again they opened to that room, to the sheen of the moon as it stared at him from amidst a blanket or stars. Somewhere out there his brothers were looking at the same moon, weren't they? They were back on the island, back home, separated by unending ocean, but didn't they still share the same sky—the same world?

Ace.

Luffy.

They survived. The fire wouldn't have killed them, he knew. They were too strong for that. He wished he could see them just once, though, just to be sure. He wanted to hug Luffy close, tell them that they would meet again, that it would be okay. Then he would place a hand on Ace's shoulder, remind him to watch out for their little brother. But he couldn't do that. He couldn't be there to say goodbye. Every word he wanted to say, ever feeling he wanted them to know, he transcribed it all into one short, simple letter. Hopefully they wouldn't be too mad; Ace might try to kill him when they next met.

A broken chuckle escaped his mouth, imaginings of their next meeting dancing through his head, soon turning sour as he wondered just how long it would be before that day came. He bit his lip, sniffling as tears trailed across the sides of his face. It hurt. Not the burns, not the cuts, not the parts of his body that just _wouldn't work_, but the heavy, crippling fear swelling in his chest.

_Will we meet again?_

They would. They had to because, no matter how far apart they were, they were brothers. He loved them.

_Ace… Luffy…_

He would save his apologies for that day, when he could finally meet them face to face, tell them how much he missed them.

* * *

Everything was decorated with flowers: the field, the swords, the graves. It was beautiful—breathtaking, even—making the weight on his chest heavier with each passing moment. Still he pressed on, moved forward, plopping cross-legged in front of the carved blocks of marble, a nostalgic name etched boldly into the one on his left. He took a deep breath, fighting against his quivering lip as he set out three cups of sake and a newspaper.

He swallowed.

"Luffy's back," he stated hesitantly, carefully, as though his dead brother would snap back at him any moment, chastise him for his absence, bombard him with questions of why he didn't save him. "You don't have to worry about him anymore. And I—"

Silence.

He began drinking from his cup, taking small sips before his hand started to shake, almost spilling the drink down his front. "I'm going to see him soon, I think. I'll go meet him."

All that met his words was the wind.

"I'm sorry…"

_I didn't mean…_

"I'm so, _so_ sorry."

_Can you forgive me?_

"I couldn't…"

He took a shivering breath, never getting a reply.

_…We're still brothers, aren't we?_

_I miss you, Ace._

* * *

**It was 4am and I felt like writing this so I did. Hope you enjoyed!**

**Adieu~**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I decided to continue this as a series of loosely connected oneshots. I'm going to keep it set as complete because I don't know when I'm going to update again or if, though I have some more ideas for it. Hope you guys enjoy :D**

* * *

Missions were tough. Missions were long. Missions were the only things that kept his thirst for adventure alive.

Flopping down on his bed, Sabo heaved a heavy sigh. He was still getting used to all of this running around for Dragon and the revolutionaries. They only let him participate in small things, as he was still new to all the 'fighting the government' stuff and that wasn't to mention his small size and age. Sometimes he complained about it, said that he could handle more, but he knew the reality of it. He knew that he was still too weak to be of significant help to Dragon's cause. Admittedly, even small assignments like those gave him trouble.

His head fell to his side, his eyes catching on the mirror against the far wall. Immediately his gaze settled on the marred, discoloured skin of the left side of his face, his heart clenching in immediate response. It was… healing nicely, all things considered. The scars would never fade, but the scabs were gone. It was no longer an open wound and, if he were optimistic he could say that he was back to normal now, only half a year after the incident. But as he touched his fingers to the bumpy, hypersensitive skin of his cheek, the skin that ran over and around his eye and disappeared into his hairline, he wondered if that would ever be true. Could he move on? Could he move past it?

What would his brothers think if they saw him like that?

Ace and Luffy… He groaned recalling their names. The boy wanted nothing more than to see them again, to hold them close and tell them just how much he missed them, how lonely he was. Lately thoughts of his beloved siblings brought on a draining feeling of dread. He'd left them without goodbye. They parted wordlessly and without their consent. And as he was, scarred as he'd become, would they even recognize him? Would they see him as… himself?

Pursing his lips, Sabo pushed himself upright. He knew he was being ridiculous. Ace never cared about looks. And Luffy, the adorably brat, would probably think it looked cool. So he could understand the foolishness in his thoughts, but… he couldn't wash them away. There was that constant, nagging voice at the back of his mind, always wondering all of the 'what ifs' imagination could conjure.

Doubt was an emotion he was becoming quite acquainted with as of late.

A knock at his door had him smiling, seeing the small girl standing in the hallway with a nervous sort of smile.

"Hello, Koala," he greeted, patting the place beside him on the bed.

The girl's face brightened and she immediately followed the gesture, taking her place at his side and looking up at him happily. Sabo took comfort in knowing that, separated from his family as he was, there were still people he could consider family. No one would ever replace Ace and Luffy, but… people like Koala, they lessened the pain.

"You were gone a while this time," she noted offhandedly, her eyes scrolling to his burns as they so often did, leaving the blond to fidget under her stare.

"Mm," he noted, looking away and scratching the side of his face. "We went pretty far out."

Silence prevailed, a slight tension passing between them. It wasn't long before it was broken, though, and the girl, his elder by one year, poked his face. He blinked.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Uh… No, not really."

Once more she smiled. "Good."

Somehow that one word allowed him a chance to breathe through all of the crushing weight of his worry, and he smiled back.

* * *

Loguetown was a place he'd frequented over the years, but never had he gone to the town square. At sixteen years of age he found himself allowed to venture away from his superiors, their mission over. The ship needed to restock. Dragon assured him that, provided he lay low, there was no problem with him doing a bit of sightseeing until they were ready to leave. And so he found himself at the gallows.

Staring up at the platform, he furrowed his brows. That was the place Ace's father died. That was where the pirate king met his end, where everyone's dreams began. He remembered Ace's confession vividly in his mind, words of hate and self-loathing seeping from his brother's mouth even as young as he was. It was the first time he heard someone speak with such hate, the first time his brother wore an expression so distraught, so confused, that it broke his seven-year-old heart and left him able to do nothing but watch as the one he held dear broke down in front of him.

He swallowed. Ace was okay. Ace was with Luffy. Actually, it was his birthday a few weeks ago, wasn't it? Ace was seventeen. He wondered when his brothers would set out to join him, when they could meet again.

Wading through the crowds to try to get closer he grunted, hitting something solid. The force pushed him back and immediately he adjusted the cloak draped around his shoulders, trying to hide the bright blues of the clothes underneath. Dragon told him not to draw attention to himself, after all.

"Sorry," called a voice from in front of him, deep and strong. Sabo's eyes scrolled up from the ground to see an open yellow shirt, showing off a muscled chest before he finally found the stranger's face. "I wasn't paying attention."

He froze. That was…

The man bowed low, emphasising his apology.

"Uh, no, that's…"

Raising his head once more, Ace grinned. He… he had more freckles now. Dark waves of hair disappeared beneath a burnt orange hat, red beads that looked awfully similar to Dadan's necklace decorating its middle.

He felt like crying.

Ace…

Sabo tried not to stare, his throat dry and lip quivering as he looked his brother over. He was so big now, so much older. What should he say? Would hugging him be too much? Was he mad—upset that Sabo left on his own? "You're really…" You're really here, Ace…

His brother didn't seem to hear him, turning instead to the skies where the platform stood tall and proud. "I was… a bit distracted. By that."

"Roger's…"

"Yeah."

The revolutionary couldn't blame him, but… but wait, didn't Ace see? He wasn't wearing a hood, had nothing to hide his face. Didn't he know his own brother when he saw him?

He pulled his mouth taught. It'd been a long time, and he had changed. But he couldn't say his name—not in such a crowd. Sabo the Revolutionary was becoming more known as of late. So instead… what could he do? "…You're Ace."

Grey eyes met his, a cocky grin splitting across freckled cheeks. "You heard 'a me then?" he questioned in amusement. "Guess my name precedes me. It'd be nice if they gave me a bounty, though."

…He was a pirate. He'd set out, started his journey.

"That's great!" he blurted out, feeling the sting of tears behind his eyes as his brother blinked dumbly at him. "You'll get one soon, I know it!"

Ace looked a bit taken aback by the outburst but the amusement in his eyes never left. "You a fan or something?" he questioned, not giving time for Sabo to answer as he continued with a fist raised to his chest. Suddenly the tip of index finger burst into tiny flames, giving off a light orange glow. "Well, they're not gonna have a choice once they see my new trick." He laughed as Sabo gaped at him.

"Logia…"

"Mera mera no mi," the pirate elaborated, cocky as ever. But Sabo's attention had already switched to the black ink on the pirate's left bicep, the out-of-place 'S' crossed out in the middle of Ace's name, and the person in question seemed to take not of it. "Curious?"

Sabo's round eyes never left the tattoo as he blinked and nodded, "Mm."

At first he was quiet. Then, "It's a reminder."

"…Reminder?"

"Of someone I lost."

…It was for him. It was for Sabo. All that time, all those years, they thought… thought that…

They thought he was dead.

"Ace!" called a stranger from the distance.

Immediately his brother lifted his arm into the air and waved. "I'll be right there!" He returned his gaze to the blond. "Well, gotta go. Nice talkin' to ya." With a tip of his hat Ace passed his sibling, never giving him a second glance.

After all that, he couldn't see it? Was it the scar? The hair? Had he really changed that much? But by the time Ace stopped, by the time he paused, Sabo had already fled.

"Oh right, what's your—" Before the words left his mouth, he was already alone.

It didn't last. As Ace shrugged and headed towards the pier, heading in the direction of the revolutionary soldiers, Sabo stayed close. Before the pirate could get out of hearing range, before he got too far, the revolutionary filled his lungs with air.

"SABO!" He shouted, hidden away as his brother's body froze. The blond had to bite back a strangled cry threatening to leap from his throat, forcing back six and a half years of loneliness. "My name is Sabo! Ace!"

Over the commotion his shouting had caused, over the distance between them, through the wall he was leaning against, he swore he could hear his brother's voice. It was quiet, soft, unlike him, yet he could still make it out.

"S… Sabo…?"

Not yet. Not yet. It hurt, but he turned away. He began walking down the back alley, away from his brother, never once breaking in stride. It was still too early, and he'd already violated his orders.

Next time. Next time he would take his brother into his arms, he would allow himself to cry. But for now, he would walk away. For now he would leave. Because their journeys were just beginning and he knew one day, some way, they would meet again.

At the summit, they would reunite. That thought kept him going through even the hardest of times, because his brothers were his treasure.

Even across oceans, nothing would tear them apart.

* * *

**And then Ace died *cough* Sorry, I had to.**

**To my lovely guest~**

**Ishtar: I do too, my friend.**

**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed!**


End file.
